Air filters positioned within or as part of an air intake system for an engine provide filtered air for the engine. Air filters can extract dust, dirt, and other air borne materials from an engine's air intake system so that air borne material does not collect in the engine and degrade engine performance and operation. However, air borne material can collect within the air filter over time such that the air filter restricts air flow into the engine. The air flow restriction from the air filter can increase engine pumping work and reduce vehicle fuel economy.
The inventor herein has recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and has developed a method for assessing an air intake filter, comprising: adjusting a electric vacuum regulator to provide a motive force to a vacuum operated wastegate actuator that positions a turbocharger wastegate; and providing a status of an engine air intake filter in response to a state of a reservoir of the vacuum operated wastegate actuator.
By opportunistically adjusting operation of a vacuum operated wastegate electrical vacuum regulator, it may be possible to control conditions in a wastegate actuator reservoir such that the reservoir is exposed to a pressure in an air intake system at a location between an air filter and a turbocharger compressor. The pressure in the wastegate reservoir can be sampled via a wastegate reservoir sensor, and the pressure can be compared to a predetermined pressure that indicates a flow restricted air filter at the present engine air flow level. If the pressure in the wastegate vacuum reservoir is less than the predetermined pressure that indicates a flow restricted air filter, an indication of a restricted air filter can be provided to the vehicle operator. In this way, a sensor having a purpose for adjusting a turbocharger wastegate can also be the basis for determining a state of an air intake filter.
The present description may provide several advantages. Namely, the approach may reduce cost of monitoring an engine air intake filter. Further, the approach can reduce system complexity since fewer sensors may be used to control and diagnose engine operation. Further still, the approach can reduce fuel consumption by notifying an operator of a restricted air filter.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.